Benefits of an In-House Internship

Interning for a museum this summer has been great, and has offered a lot of different experiences than when I interned at an agency. Interning with an agency is great, especially if the agency works with a wide range of clients. When I interned at an agency, it definitely helped me figure out what kinds of clients I'd like to work with later on in my career. Now that I'm in-house at a museum, I've noticed a few perks that are harder to find on the agency side of things:

• Smaller teams: The PR or communications department tend to be on the smaller side of things. This is great, because it allows you to meet and make connections with more people during your internship! Seeing the same three or four faces every time you come into the office makes the name and title game a lot less stressful.
• Inter-department support: In smaller in house settings, like at a museum, the PR department isn't just working to support and promote itself, it also has to consider the efforts of other departments. For a PR intern, this is your chance to see how other departments, like development for example, work and thrive. Knowing those extra facts are sure to be a great talking point in your next relationship.
• Access to the top: When you intern at a large agency, you may only interact and spend time with your internship coordinator or direct supervisor. As an intern, you should try and get a glimpse of what everyone does, especially supervisors and directors! Now that I'm in-house, the office of the head of my department is right across from my cubicle, and I'm always free to stop in!
• Work to go around: Smaller teams usually have a million things to do in a short amount of time, so having interns around helps get the work done faster. On a smaller in-house team, employees are usually more than willing to share some of their daily responsibilities, which is the best way to learn - by jumping in and doing it!

Have you ever had an in-house internship or job? What did you like most about it?

Trends affecting the PR Field

In recent years, PR departments have had to make a concerted effort to remain relevant within an organizations. Many times, the PR department is the first to go during cutbacks. Especially now, with the influx of bloggers and social media, it is harder than ever to show senior level execs why you are still an important asset to the company. Below are a few reasons why PR departments may be facing cutbacks:

• The Internet is killing the "expert": In the past, citing experts in press releases and other materials has gained leverage on the side of the PR department. However, now that Facebook and Twitter are often the main sources of information for people, "experts" can be found everywhere. The term "expert" is meaning less every year. Who is to say that one person is or is not an expert? Information and knowledge evolves, and some experts even feel uncomfortable with their title for the same reason.
• Consumers are growing skeptical of statistics: Undoubtedly you have seen infographics created by brands, illustrating statistics in their favor. These statistics are created to start buzz and position brands as leaders in the field. The problem with this is that consumers are experiencing information overload. As a result, people often brush of these statistics that originally brought more attention.
• Content curation puts the success of a brand into the hands of the consumer: When you are talking to a client or your execs about a PR campaign, many times they won't understand how much really goes into a campaign. One of the most important goals in such a campaign are to get consumers to share your brand and its message. In this sense, success is really in the hands of the consumer and their own opinions, which is out of the hands of the PR team.

What Corporate Can Teach Agencies

When we talk about PR, we throw around the terms "in-house" and "agency", as if they are mutually exclusive. While they both do have their differences, corporate in-house PR can give valuable insight to traditional PR agencies. 

1. Understand the corporate structure: Remember that when you are working for a company, you may have to report to an executive board. You will have to give them hard numbers of what you are accomplishing: how many people are you reaching? How many press releases did you send? How many news outlets picked up the story? etc. Realize that the board may not have a solid handle on PR and doesn't realize what goes on behind measurable results and the intricacies behind it. Discuss how you can translate the board's need for numbers into actual PR success.
2. Learn the language: At my internship, I am required to file every single mention of the National Constitution Center into a document, with specific impression numbers, so that we can physically show where, to whom, and how much we are reaching. Having one big document to easily compile this information allows for minimal effort with maximum results.
3. Proactively maintain communication: Your clients will not always have something newsworthy going on. Don't wait for them to come to you, make something happen. Keep in the loop about projects and identify potential media opportunities. Silence isn't golden in PR.

Have you ever worked in both "in-house" and "agency"? What did you  learn from it? Let us know!